Thursday, May 26, 2005

Dave Rangone, who has been in the third seat for David Carr, has been thriving in the NFLEL (National Football League Europe). Rangone has been playing with NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder, where he has been maintaining his arm and showing that he might have the skills to come back as back-up to Carr.

Rangone has been leading the Thunder to a 6-2 record, which makes them one of the top teams in NFLEL. In their last game against Hamburg, Rangone threw for 258 yards and three scores. This gave them the victory with a score of 27-17.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Carr has all the tools to be a special quarterback, and he continues to improve as the Texans upgrade the talent around him. Carr stands to make the biggest improvement with timing routes, something the Texans plan to emphasize more of this season. The fourth-year quarterback has been sacked more than anyone in the league since 2002, and the Texans hope to improve in that area by putting more timing routes into their scheme. In order for that approach to work, Carr must make good decisions and get rid of the ball more quickly than he has at times during the past three seasons.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

When Houston first started their expansion draft, they made sure to fill up the corners with veteran players and they did so. Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glenn came to Houston and topped the charts through 2002-2003 with interceptions. Aaron Glenn has moved over to the Cowboys since and Coleman is now playing free safety.

With the spaces open, Houston has had the ability to bring in youthful talent and of course, they have done just this. Dunta Robinson has already shined in this position. Now with the addition of Phillip Buchanon, there should be great prowess in the corners.

Buchanon was acquired by Texas in a trade for two draft picks with Oakland. He was able to rack up 11 career picks, averaging 29.6 yards per return.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Kris Brown has 74 percent effectiveness in field goal kicking for the Texans. Good enough for us. Brown has been resigned to a contract extension with the Texans. He joined the organization in 2002 as a restricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown began his football career being drafted by Pittsburgh in 1999. He is 81/81 on extra points and has been busting up his stats every year since joining the Texans.

“Kris has been a major part of our team over the first three years. We expect him to continue to kick at a high level as our team improves. Kris is solid guy who is not only a good player but also has all of the leadership characteristics you look for in a football player.”- Head coach Dom Capers

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

One sign the Texans are establishing more depth in their fourth year is the fact none of their draft picks is assured a starting job. In fact, fourth-round pick Jerome Mathis is more likely to start than first- or third-round pick Vernand Morency. Defensive lineman Travis Johnson was the team's first-round pick, but he'll play behind starters Gary Walker, Seth Payne and Robaire, and be worked into the rotation. Johnson definitely will play in passing situations. If Domanick Davis' history of nagging training-camp injuries continue, Morency could sneak into a starting job, but expect Mathis, a speedy receiver from Hampton, to be too explosive to keep off the field. . . .

The Texans will have to decide whether they want CB Phillip Buchanon to return punts. Buchanon was a dangerous punt returner in Oakland, but some teams shy away from using a starting player on returns because of the risk of injuries. Texans coach Dom Capers was reluctant to use CB Aaron Glenn in that role despite the fact Glenn excelled on returns earlier in his career with the Jets. However, when Capers was the coach in Carolina, he used 1,000-yard rusher Anthony Johnson on kickoffs. This much is certain: with Buchanon and Mathis, who returns kickoffs, on the roster, return specialist J.J. Moses' days with the Texans are numbered.